Your Achievements Do Not Define You!

What if it was All a Game?

What would your Achievements mean then?

From the moment you take your first breath, you’re rewarded for your accomplishments. Taking your first step, another huge celebration. Going to the bathroom on a potty instead of in your diaper, this one may elicit tears of joy from those you love most.  By the time kindergarten comes along you are well versed in achievements and rewards.

Setting your sights on things you want to achieve and experience could be what drives you to get up after each stumble along the way.  If you gave up on walking after your first tumble, you may still be crawling to this day. Unfortunately, like with most of our internal saboteurs, what is our greatest strength can often become our greatest weakness.

When the achievement, the award, the grade, the money and the title become your only reason for putting in effort, that’s when the pain starts to settle in.  When you’re constantly looking ahead to the next accomplishment, the next big deal, the next company to turn around, or the next grade; your life becomes about the next…the future, not the now.  You run the risk of becoming your triumphs.   You begin to put so much weight into what you accomplish that you in fact get lost.  Thus, putting your own self-worth outside of you.  That without your accomplishments, without your successes you’re…well, worthless.

Tying your worth to your accomplishments, means the risk of failing could shatter your whole sense of self. This will generally lead you down one of two paths.  The first, is one of tunnel vision, where you push yourself even more, burn the midnight oil and sacrifice all else to assure your victory.  The second, has you scared to take risks.  Afraid to try new things and risk failure, so instead you just do more of what you’re good at, and setting goals that you know you can achieve. 

For the most tormented of hyper-achievers, the triumph is never enough.  As soon as the award is received, the job offer has been made or the grade has been given the mind starts to spin.  Spinning with thoughts like: “could I have done better”, “there is still so much for me to do” or “did I truly deserve this”.

What to do? How do you strive to be all you can be while also not attaching your worth to it?

First, remember who you were as a baby (Positive Intelligence recommends looking at a childhood picture).  Except for the accomplishment of breathing, you rarely did anything for yourself.  In fact, someone else lovingly chose to wipe your bum, bath, wash and feed you, not because of any accomplishment but rather because they loved you, and you were worthy of their love.  You have always been worthy from the moment of your creation, for nothing gets created without being worthy.

 Second, take a tip from Mother Teresa, “Life is a game, play it.”.

What if life was just a game?  A game in which you are not competing against anyone, it is merely a game for your amusement your enjoyment.  Everyday you get to wake up and decide what game you want to play today with no scoreboard at the end.  To play the game for the pure enjoyment of play. Each fall, each missed attempt would still elicit amusement because just getting to play is a gift in itself.

My dear reader, you were born worthy, and this game of life has been gifted to you for your enjoyment.  For you to try new things, to determine what pleases you, to create your art in the form of your life.  Strive in the moment, enjoy the process, the only score that truly matters is the smile on your face.